


Sophrosyne

by jswoon2



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-07
Updated: 2013-12-07
Packaged: 2018-01-03 21:38:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1073337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jswoon2/pseuds/jswoon2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaron is an overworked, underpaid member of the BAU. Spencer is neither of those things, but he is new in town. In fact, he earns a whopping $9.50 per hour. Also, Derek is full of surprises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sophrosyne

**Author's Note:**

> sophrosyne - (n.) a healthy state of mind, characterized by self-control, moderation, and a deep awareness of one's true self, and resulting in true happiness
> 
> \- (a/n: hopefully all mistakes were corrected)

The first time Aaron sees him is when he's with Jack. They're searching for a book on marine animals to use for Jack's science project but they can't seem to find the right one. Aaron notices someone looking at them first, call it a parental instinct to sense someone staring at their kid. He's surprised to see that it isn't a predator (his mind tends to drift off into the darker side of things naturally because of his job) but instead a young male with a book bigger than anything he's ever seen someone read before. The stranger, realizing that he had been staring sent a soft grin accompanied by a slight blush.

"I like this one!" The sound of his son's voice brings him back to reality, smiling as he bends down to see the hard cover book up close.

"Are you sure you want to do your project on dolphins?" Aaron gets a nod. "Are we ready to check out then?" Another nod.

Curiously, Aaron looks over at the same table again. The young male is still sitting there, nose buried in a novel all about psychology. Aaron almost wishes that they could linger to catch the stranger's eye but Jack is ready to go.

/

Two weeks pass. When Aaron returns to the library, he's alone. He's almost to the door to leave since there was a place to conveniently drop off the book before meeting the young stranger but he stops himself and walks inside. There's no book that he wants to check out so he's merely wandering around, hoping to bump into the young male and leave. Everywhere he looks in the adult fiction section is littered with nobody special but a few girls looking at romance novels.

Then it strikes him.

Aaron checks his watch as he approaches the small section of the library reserved for nonfiction books, chewing his lip, a bad habit he picked up after Haley left. The only thing that stops him from continuing is a thud against his chest.

"Sorry about that," he apologizes, offering a hand to the other who had managed lose his balance and fall backward.

"It's fine. I wasn't looking, too busy reading up on the lessons of Freud." The latter laughs, accepting the hand given to him. Aaron notes to himself how light the other feels, how easy it is to haul him back onto his feet. "I'm, uh—I'm Reid. Or Spencer. Either works." Aaron absentmindedly raises a brow at how quick the other was to jump to introductions. He's too slow to notice but he does see the change in the stranger's— _Spencer's_ —expression. "I'm new here so I've been kind of trying to make friends."

Nodding, Aaron clears his throat. "Welcome to the neighborhood then. Aaron Hotchner,"

The smile he gets in return is, in a way, blinding. It's wide and all Aaron sees is white teeth and a lit up face. Something inside Aaron stirs but he can't place his finger on it. He has accomplished what he came for. He approached the stranger and now he can leave, but his feet don't move.

"So, uh, how long have you lived here?" Spencer asks, holding the book on Freud in one hand, the other stuffed into his pocket as he rocks on his heels to fill the silence.

"A while. I work here so I, uh, been here for some time now. Maybe five years or more, I haven't really been keeping track. Time just goes by way too fast nowadays." Aaron says, letting out a small laugh. When Spencer smiles again he finds that the laugh was worth it.

"Maybe I'll see you around? I'm working at a new coffee place a few blocks from here, you should come visit sometime. They serve some pretty good quality coffee." Spencer offers, now waving the book around as he talks.

Aaron knows that he really shouldn't but now he's even more curious to find out more about Spencer so he says, "Sure. I'll bring a few friends of mine down maybe next week. We're headed off to California in a few hours."

"California, really? I hear it's really nice out there. You must have a pretty draining job if you have to travel that far away." Spencer seems to have a bit of sympathy in his tone. "Sounds exciting though. I considered once joining the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit since an old friend of mine, Gideon, we used to play chess together, was in the BAU but it wore him out so much that it was kind of a turn off for the job." 

"Gideon? Jason Gideon?" Aaron asks before he can bite his tongue. Spencer's eyes widen at the recognition of his friend's name—Hotch's as well—and Aaron can already see the upcoming question. "I've heard of him before. Seen him on TV a couple times while he was on a case or two."

"He's a cool guy. Too bad he retired. Whoever replaced him must have big shoes to fill." Spencer shrugs, jumping when a buzzing sound goes off. "Crap! I have to go, coffee making calls. But you still should definitely come down one day."

Spencer barely gives him time to reply before he's running off—or what seems like running—to get back to work.

/

"Hotch, what's on your mind?" Derek says one day, putting on a pair of dark sunglasses while walking outside. This time they're in Texas. Aaron hesitates, something he rarely does, so Derek only persists in finding out what is being hidden from him. "That's the kind of look people get when you meet someone."

"I thought your specialty was obsessive behaviors and fixations, not people's love affairs." Aaron replies, slipping his cell phone into his pocket.

"Hey, I also specialize in explosives, too. That isn't the point though. The point is, I think you met someone and you're hiding her from the rest of the team." Derek teases, grinning slightly. "It's about time, man. Maybe whoever this girl is can get you to lighten up sometimes. I saw you smiling while you were on the phone the other day. Nobody does that unless they're talking to someone they like."

Aaron rolls his eyes as they approach their car. "We aren't in grade school anymore, Morgan, and that could have been anyone on the phone with me. It could have been Jack."

"If it was Jack you would have just said that, you wouldn't have beaten around the bush. If you don't want the whole team to know, you can just tell me. Let it be our secret since I'm the one who caught on first." Derek pushes, stepping in front of Aaron so that he can't get into the driver's side.

A couple moments passes, Derek unmoving. Aaron cracks.

"His name is Spencer Reid, he works a coffee place a few blocks from Jack's school. He's a bit younger than I am, but not that much. His favorite psychologist is Freud and he likes musicals. Want to know anything else?" Aaron rushes, jingling the keys in his hand.

Derek is surprised that Spencer is a he and not a she, but doesn't question it. He only smiles. "I knew I was right," was the first thing to come out of his mouth.

/

Once back in the familiarity of Virginia, Aaron confesses. He tells Spencer over a hot cup of coffee that he works in the notorious BAU and coincidentally worked with Gideon, as in Jason Gideon, as well. Spencer takes it surprisingly well and only launches into different questions about Aaron's profession, nearly itching to go get a pad and pen from his messenger back to jot everything down.

Later that afternoon Aaron mans up and asks Spencer to be his boyfriend. They've had enough coffee dates and awkward meetings in the library. Aaron feels that they should take things to the next step and Spencer, with the smile Aaron is drawn to so much, agrees.

It just so happens that Derek decided the moment after to saunter into the coffee shop, with the claim that someone named Strauss wanted him in her office. Spencer, although reluctant to let Aaron go so soon, resorted to just introducing himself to Derek instead before they both left. The barista in training is taken aback to hear an, "I know," as the response.

/

A month after formally dating, Aaron takes Spencer home for the night. There're no ill intentions but he wants Jack to know that he's been seeing someone. His son is more than elated to hear someone would be hanging around them more often, claiming that things had gotten lonely. Aaron is thankful for that.

"Tell me more about dinosaurs," Jack pleads to Spencer, refusing to go to bed on time.

"Maybe tomorrow morning, or some other time. Spencer will be around more often so you can think of all your questions in the meantime." Aaron promises, lifting his son off the couch, taking him into the bathroom whether he wants to or not.

Spencer smiles, calling after them, "Yeah, if there's a question, there's a good chance I'll be able to answer it!" He remains smiling when Aaron gets back ten minutes later, fitting on top of Aaron's lap comfortably as they kiss.

"Jack really likes you." 

"Good," Spencer says, "I was kind of worried he wouldn't get us being together or—"

Aaron shuts him up with a kiss. At nine thirty, Aaron proposes they go to bed only to find out that Spencer grabbed the wrong messenger bag. He left his clothes at home. In substitution, Aaron lends him a university t-shirt that's too wide on Spencer's shoulders and hangs off a little bit and pants that fall low on his hips. Aaron regrets it in the morning when he rolls over to see Spencer sleeping facing him, clothes revealing patches of pale skin. A part of him contemplates taking a picture but in fear of Derek ever finding it, he decides against it.

/

Two months after dating Aaron deems it's safe enough for Derek to meet Spencer again. This time instead of an uncomfortable meeting, they're all relaxed. Spencer is on his lunch break but nobody seems to care that Aaron and Spencer are sitting together, fingers interlaced underneath the table with Derek sitting across from them.

"You're pretty famous," Derek comments in a playful tone. "Didn't know that Hotch was into pretty boys though."

Spencer flushes and Aaron shoots Derek a glare that he hopes the other will catch. He doesn't.

"I am happy for you two, though, honestly. We do a lot of frequent traveling and I know that JJ and Will have issues all the time. It's good to see that you guys are working things out." Derek has his hands wrapped around his coffee mug but he isn't drinking it. "My question is: how did you get past the walls of such a hardass like Hotch?"

"To be honest, I didn't think I stood a chance. I saw Aaron with Jack in the library and I figured he was married and I wanted to go over and say something, I really did, but I couldn't. It was just luck that we happened to bump into each other—" ("Literally," Aaron supplies.) "From there we just kept on meeting at the library. I think I went there every day one week hoping to see him again. I guess that was one of those away on business times." The coloring of Spencer's cheeks make Aaron squeeze his boyfriend's hand sweetly.

Derek is about to comment on how much the way they met seemed like someone pulled out of a story when Aaron's phone rings.

"Hotchner," he answers. "Yes, I will be there as soon as possible. Do you need Derek, too? Okay, bye Rossi." Aaron leans over to give Spencer a kiss, pressing his slightly chapped lips against Spencer's, eyes closed with his hand raising to cup the other's jaw gently. Derek clearing his throat reminds him of what he was about to say after the intended short goodbye kiss. "I need to go back to the BAU but Rossi said you could stay and finish your coffee if you want."

"Does he know we came to meet someone for coffee?" Derek asks. Aaron shakes his head. "Well, well, aren't I honored to get the chance to meet your boyfriend first. I'm honored, Hotch, really, but Garcia would freak if she knew I knew something she didn't."

"I know. JJ is having a birthday party for Henry a couple weeks from now. Spencer is going to be my plus one, we discussed it." Aaron answers, refusing the temptation to kiss Spencer again before leaving.

He was dismissed silently as Spencer distractedly ask Derek if by Rossi Aaron meant _the_ David Rossi, who happened to be the author of a book Spencer read as well as a BAU profiler. Derek had laughed but he answered the question in earnest.

/

Aaron did have the full intent on taking things slow but not everything Aaron intended to do in the past went according to plan. 

It was not a part of his plan to be in Spencer's bedroom, on Spencer's bed half dressed, panting but he couldn't stop himself. He could feel Spencer's lips kissing his neck, leaving soft marks on the skin down to his collarbone as the shirt he was wearing was being pushed off his shoulders. Leaning back on his heels, Aaron took the white shirt off, tossing it off the bed to dip back down, sliding between Spencer's slightly parted legs, feeling them hook around his waist. Aaron stifled a groan, feeling Spencer cup his palm against his cock through the material of his pants. The moment he felt his resistance slip away, he claimed Spencer's lips again, feeling one arm wrap around his shoulders so they could press together tighter.

Hands wandering, Aaron encountered too much cloth on Spencer's body, pushing up the shirt until it was balled underneath the armpits. Softly, he leaned down, leaving a trail of kisses until he reached a hardened nipple. He licked his lips, tongue lapping the hard bud. Spencer's back arched as he worked off the shirt, then going to unbutton his pants to slip them off too.

"Do you have anything? Lube or a condom?" Aaron broke apart for a moment, hands still brushing over the new areas of uncovered skin.

Spencer shivered, reaching out for the bedside table. "No condoms. I only have lube. There wasn't much use packing expired condoms to move." He just barely reached the drawer handle to wrench it open. A little searching for the object, he found the bottle toward the back and pulled it out. 

Hastily, Aaron moved away to take off any remaining clothing on both their bodies. Flush against each other they could feel everything. Aaron couldn't stop marking Spencer's neck, swollen lips continually searching for a new patch of sweet skin to suck on. Clutching onto the sheets, Spencer felt the second digit enter. The sting isn't as bad as he imagined, in fact, it feels good. His body wants more, feeling Aaron slide the fingers in and out of his entrance, stretching him. Every once and awhile Aaron, while Spencer muttered for more, chose to curl his fingers, rubbing against the spot that was driving his boyfriend crazy with want.

"Just—I, I need you now. Get in me." Spencer grips onto Aaron's bicep tightly, come sticking to his stomach. 

Aaron, never one to deny Spencer of what he wants, was hasty to remove his fingers and slick his cock with more lube. Spreading it evenly with a few long strokes, he kept Spencer pushed against the mattress, watching how his cock sinks in. Spencer is quick to grab onto Aaron's hips, shocking him, as he pulls him forward so that Aaron is completely inside, balls against tailbone. 

"God, you feel so good," Aaron exhales, hiding his face in the crook of Spencer's arm, rocking forward slowly. He doesn't pull out at all but merely rolls his hips forward, which is enough to elicit more wonderful sounds from Spencer's mouth.

Later, Spencer smiles as they're curled around each other and, although he doesn't admit it, Aaron falls in love again.

/

The BAU team meets Spencer after six months. JJ's party for her son fell through since they had to fly out to Las Vegas for three days and Derek didn't let Aaron forget it until a new event came up.

Aaron shows off Spencer like a trophy of sorts, keeping a careful eye on him particularly when he initiates a conversation with Rossi about one of the books he wrote. He can't help but want to keep Spencer closer but he settles for putting his arm around Spencer's waist instead of completely dragging him away and keeping him for himself. 

Derek arrives to the get together late, cupcakes in hand to make up for it. Everyone greets him, including Spencer. Cockily, he reveals that Aaron had told him about Spencer first (opting to leave out that he had cornered him in California for answers), grinning as he tells Spencer to enjoy watching everyone gang up on Aaron, demanding to know why out of all people, he told Derek first.

"I'm full of surprises." Derek claims when the group calms down, shrugging with feigned indifference, just happy that he isn't the one on the spot. Aaron is.

**Author's Note:**

> (loosely edited 6/26/2014. I spelled Reid wrong. What kind of fan am I?)


End file.
